UK Deaf leader argues for video technology

Sat Oct 21 02:21:13 UTC 2006

BTW, just for those who are involved in the current dispute over Jane 
Fernandes and her appointment as President of Gallaudet, I don't want 
you to infer that I am taking any sides one way or another regarding 
her appointment. I personally am not taking any sides in this dispute. 
I don't have enough information to go one way or another. So, just in 
case that might come up from my comment about her in this email, I 
wanted to clarify that. :)

Thanks,

Stuart

On Oct 20, 2006, at 18:47, Stuart Thiessen wrote:

> We are working on it! :)  We have talked with the Superintendent. We 
> also had the President-to-be from Gally come for the Iowa Association 
> of the Deaf's 125th Anniversary Banquet. We also talked with her about 
> SignWriting. So we are pushing it everywhere we can. :) We also tried 
> to convince our local public school Deaf Program to consider it.
>
> The challenge is that it is "one more program" in the midst of many 
> programs that are competing for their attention. I would like to team 
> up with the Alberquerque people and Cheri and others who I may not 
> know about to see if together we can create a presentation that can be 
> used by SW advocates to help convince public school administrators, 
> educators, etc. to be aware of SW and its benefits. But like many 
> ideas, we just need to achieve some critical mass before it can 
> happen. But I'm offering the idea :).
>
> Thanks,
>
> Stuart
>
> On Oct 20, 2006, at 2:06, Shane Gilchrist O hEorpa wrote:
>
>> u got ruby slippers on?
>>
>> ;-)
>>
>> Can u check with Iowa School for the Deaf - to see if they use SW?
>>
>> Shane
>>
>> On 20/10/06, Stuart Thiessen <sw at passitonservices.org> wrote:
>>> I am in Des Moines, Iowa, right in the middle of the US. ;-)  When I
>>> moved from Virginia to Kansas, they told me to say hi to Dorothy. 
>>> Funny
>>> thing .... my neighbor was Dorothy. So, I said hi!  ( ;-D )  Then I
>>> lived in Nebraska. Now in Iowa. So, I'm more of a Midwesterner. :)
>>>
>>> Stuart
>>>
>>> On Oct 19, 2006, at 14:33, Shane Gilchrist O hEorpa wrote:
>>>
>>> > Stuart is right - Gallaudet is loyal to Stokoe, thinking that SW is
>>> > another notation system (which it ISN'T!)
>>> >
>>> > once we slip SW into Gallaudet, it will change - unfair i 
>>> know...but
>>> > we will get there eventually.
>>> >
>>> > Where are you based, Stuart?
>>> >
>>> > Shane
>>> >
>>> > On 19/10/06, Stuart Thiessen <sw at passitonservices.org> wrote:
>>> >> Here, the local teacher (hearing) said that he would not even 
>>> consider
>>> >> use of SignWriting until Deaf people use it. I told him, "2 Deaf
>>> >> people
>>> >> are right now telling you it is a good idea!!!  ;-)"  Really, 
>>> what he
>>> >> means is until NAD or Gallaudet or some formal group adopts
>>> >> SignWriting
>>> >> as a writing system for ASL, he won't consider it.
>>> >>
>>> >> But I agree with Valerie. First time, they may be resistant or
>>> >> hesitant, but if we are patient, they will realize the benefits 
>>> of the
>>> >> system.
>>> >>
>>> >> Thanks,
>>> >>
>>> >> Stuart Thiessen
>>> >>
>>> >> On Oct 19, 2006, at 13:15, Bill Reese wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >> > Val,
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Last night my late-deaf group had one of it's regular coffee 
>>> socials
>>> >> > and a sign teacher from a local college showed up with her 
>>> class of
>>> >> > about 10 hearing students.  I showed her www.signwriting.org on 
>>> my
>>> >> > sidekick and she admitted that she had looked at it a couple 
>>> months
>>> >> > ago.  Her students are just beginners and most are taking sign 
>>> as
>>> >> > their required foreign language.  As such, most won't be going 
>>> far
>>> >> > with it.  The teacher suggested that signwriting would most 
>>> likely
>>> >> fit
>>> >> > in with the sign language structure class, which is normally a
>>> >> fourth
>>> >> > semester class in sign instruction.  I asked her to pass the 
>>> word
>>> >> > along to the teacher of that class.  Not sure where it will get 
>>> but
>>> >> a
>>> >> > couple of her beginning students snuck a look at what I was 
>>> showing
>>> >> > her and expressed curiousity.
>>> >> > This was probably the first time I had received constructive
>>> >> dialogue
>>> >> > instead of skepticism from a local teacher.
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Bill
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> > If it's anything like the UK, it will be a long ways to go
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Valerie Sutton wrote:
>>> >> >> SignWriting List
>>> >> >> October 19, 2006
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Ha! Well...my experience is that it takes around three times,
>>> >> before
>>> >> >> people become convinced to look at it...
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> The first time they are against it, the second time they 
>>> discuss it
>>> >> >> more, and the third time they decide to look at it...
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> So maybe in time he will come around, as others write BSL 
>>> around
>>> >> >> him...
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> reading and writing English took centuries to become
>>> >> established...so
>>> >> >> there is hope!
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Val ;-)
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> On Oct 19, 2006, at 9:46 AM, Shane Gilchrist O hEorpa wrote:
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>> I did invite him :-)
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> He said he have better things to do...
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> (!)
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> :-)
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> Shane
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> On 19/10/06, Valerie Sutton <signwriting at mac.com> wrote:
>>> >> >>>> SignWriting List
>>> >> >>>> October 19, 2006
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> Shane Gilchrist O hEorpa in Belfast wrote:
>>> >> >>>> > Was talking to a deaf leader in England about that system 
>>> - he
>>> >> >>>> said
>>> >> >>>> > that its no good - what with the development in video
>>> >> technology
>>> >> >>>> i.e.
>>> >> >>>> > video messages etc - so why the signwriting etc?
>>> >> >>>> >
>>> >> >>>> > I said having videomessages etc will not improve kids'
>>> >> literacy in
>>> >> >>>> > BSL/NISL but having SW will do.
>>> >> >>>> >
>>> >> >>>> > beside, technology isnt good at keeping stuff - SW can be
>>> >> printed
>>> >> >>>> on
>>> >> >>>> > any paper and that they ll be still there 500 years away 
>>> :-)
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> Hello Shane and Everyone!
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> Those are good points, Shane...
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> So did you invite the Deaf leader to the SignWriting 
>>> Workshop on
>>> >> Oct
>>> >> >>>> 27th at DCAL? ;-))
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> Double-dare him to come to the workshop to see if he has the
>>> >> courage
>>> >> >>>> to look at it...
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> When people give me the video argument, I say:
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> "People did not stop writing English when audio recording
>>> >> equipment
>>> >> >>>> was invented!"
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> Written English transcripts are very helpful combined with 
>>> audio
>>> >> >>>> CDs ;-))
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> No different with written Sign Language and videos...they 
>>> help
>>> >> each
>>> >> >>>> other....
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> I know you know this, Shane...I am just spouting off right 
>>> now -
>>> >> ha!
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> Val ;-)
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>